At least three people lost their lives in a fresh landslide triggered by relentless rainfall in Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi on Tuesday, officials confirmed. The NDRF team and Mandi district administration authorities have launched rescue operations, and a search is on for the missing persons.
According to locals, the landslide occurred around 6 pm, news agency ANI reported.
#WATCH | Himachal Pradesh | Search and rescue operations underway by the Army, NDRF, and SDRF, as landslide hits Mandi’s Sundernagar. pic.twitter.com/qhjFNvW4cz
— ANI (@ANI) September 2, 2025
According to news agency PTI, Mandi Deputy Commissioner Apoorv Devgan said, “A landslide occurred in Sundarnagar late evening, two houses were affected, we suspected four people were trapped under debris in the first house and one woman was trapped in debris after the collapse in another house. Two people have died in the first house. One body was found in the second house. NDRF, SDRF, Home Guard, and police are carrying out a rescue operation. Work is being done at a war footing. We hope for a good result.”
VIDEO | Mandi DC Apoorv Devgan informs, “A landslide occured in Sundarnagar late evening, two houses were affected, we suspected 4 people being trapped under debris in first house, one women being trapped in debris after collapse in another house. Two persons have died in first… pic.twitter.com/OVMsPb0BOE
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 2, 2025
“There were five people in the two houses. Three bodies have been pulled out so far. Two people are still trapped in the debris,” Sundernagar MLA Rakesh Jamwal told ANI.
He added that an SUV was also passing through that spot at the time of the incident and has gone missing along with its driver. “The vehicle owner’s phone is switched off,” he added.
Rescue Operations Underway in Mandi and Kullu
A woman identified as Hemlata was killed when her house collapsed under heavy rain on Monday night in Solan district’s Samloh village. Her husband, four children, and her elderly mother-in-law managed to escape with minor injuries.
According to police, another woman succumbed to injuries after being pulled out from the rubble of a collapsed house in Kullu’s Dhalpur area. A man rescued alongside her survived. In Sundernagar’s BBMB colony, one woman and a child taken to hospital are feared dead, though an official confirmation is still awaited. Two more individuals are believed trapped, officials told PTI.
Teams from the National and State Disaster Response Forces, assisted by police, are continuing rescue efforts in the affected regions. A landslide behind Mandi’s Paddal Gurudwara on Monday night also damaged two homes, though residents had evacuated in time, averting casualties.
Schools Closed, Manimahesh Yatra Disrupted
In Shimla, Deputy Commissioner Anupam Kashyap ordered all government and private schools, including coaching and nursing institutes, to remain closed on Wednesday. He said continuous rainfall had heightened the risk of landslides, citing the Geological Survey of India’s forecast. Teachers and administrative staff have been exempted from duty, and online classes will be conducted.
Meanwhile, nine villages near Manali were cut off after floods in the Manalsu drain obstructed the Manali–Leh road. Around 5,000 pilgrims stranded in Chamba during the Manimahesh Yatra are being sent back, officials added. Since the pilgrimage began on 15 August, at least 16 devotees have died.
Over 1,300 Roads Blocked Across State
The State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) said 1,337 roads, including four national highways, remain blocked due to landslides and flash floods. These include National Highway-3 (Mandi–Dharampur), National Highway-305 (Aut–Sainj), National Highway-5 (Old Hindustan–Tibet road) and National Highway-707 (Hatkoti–Poanta). The Shimla–Kalka highway and the Chandigarh–Manali road have also been obstructed, causing severe disruption for commuters and apple growers trying to transport their produce.
Train services on the Shimla–Kalka route have been suspended till 5 September after multiple landslips.
Heavy Rain and Monsoon Toll In Himachal
According to SEOC, Naina Devi received the state’s heaviest rainfall at 198.2 mm since Monday evening, followed by Manali (89 mm), Rohru (80 mm), and Mandi (78.2 mm).
Since the onset of the monsoon on 20 June, Himachal Pradesh has recorded 95 flash floods, 45 cloudbursts and 121 major landslides. Official data shows 340 people have died in rain-related incidents and road accidents, with 41 still missing. The state has so far suffered estimated losses of ₹3,523 crore.
On Monday alone, 2,180 power transformers and 777 water supply schemes were disrupted across the state.
